Maya was tired of the smell of cigarette smoke, that being a rather common smell growing up in Red. The smell became more apparent anytime her enemies were near, due to the fact that Wilson couldn't go five minutes without lighting one up.

And now, sitting in Valencia's old broken-down bar, the smell was sickening.

Taube and Oliver sat on the tattered carpet, Oliver gently wiping Taube's bloody face with a damp rag. Both were covered in bruises and dried blood, but held shaky smiles on their faces. Maybe the smell of cigarette smoke sickened Maya, but the halfbreed knew that smell would be a comfort for her two friends. The smell of their final freedom: cigarette smoke and saw dust.

While the freed captives cleaned each other up, Valencia lay unconscious on the couch, Wilson and Pheonix sat patiently in the corner, playing Poker and smoking, and Maya filled two cups with dusty ice water for her friends. Quiet, soft jazz filled the hazy air as the three regrouped. Hope seemed to be on everyone's hearts. Even Wilson, reaching up to scratch his scraggly black beard, was silently touting for the halfbreed and her friends. He'd grown rather fond of Maya- maybe it was her spunk, he wasn't quite sure but he'd never admit it.

Black socks pressed against the tattered brown carpet as Maya made her way through the smoky air, leaning down to give her friends a third glass of much needed water.

Taube and Oliver made their thanks known.

"Maya.." Taube said, wings flicking as he brought the ice water away from his lips, "Where's Max?"

Maya seemed to visibly flinch, piquing Oliver's interest. He'd noticed the young girls absence but was afraid to ask anything- the air had seemed to tense up until now.

"She-....she's in Azuki Asylum." Maya said. Wilson and Pheonix listened from the corner silently as Oliver and Taube gasped, exchanging looks of fear.

"Wh-what?" Oliver stuttered, "How? D-did she become a ghost elemental?"

"There's no way!" Taube said, "She's not evil!"

"Gh-ghost elementals aren't evil." Oliver explained quietly, in an attempt to calm the tension that was growing- "I've studied every elemental and..and th-though I couldn't find much on Ghost elementals, I did find out th-that anyone can become a Ghost elemental when someone they kn-know or love dies. Th-this activates the amygdala of the brain and correlates fear with character- in short- if Max is a Ghost elemental, sh-she will become what she fears most."

Maya's heart dropped at this and her mind traveled back to Max's eye- the color fading away and leaving a grey dull staring at her.

"Guys..." Maya said, her voice a whisper- catching Taube and Oliver off-guard. "It's my fault."

"Maya-" The fairy began, reaching up to comfort her.

"Taube please." Maya said, blocking his hand, "I've always seen murder and manslaughter on the streets of Red but now...I'm no better than them. I-I killed Idris. I killed Max's mom- and now she's a ghost elemental."

Taube glanced at Oliver's startled expression. "Maya, you just saved Oliver and I- and now that the three are together again -you know, not being held captive or anything, we're free and us three are going to go get Max back. What happened is in the past."

Maya glanced up at the two, sighing.

"Valencia is technically holding us hostage until we get Max back- so we aren't free. And I know we just broke you guys out of Varick's basement, but this doesn't feel like I won. This feels like I lost. Without her, nothing feels...right. She's the one who saved me from these freaks and now she's locked up because of me!"

Taube and Oliver stared at the Psychic Halfbreed, unable to form words- unable to think of anything that could possibly help the situation- that is until Wilson spoke up.

"Who says Valencia's holding you hostage?"

The three friend's heads snapped towards Wilson, all suddenly becoming aware of the cigarette smoke and soft jazz- the fact that they were still in the room with them listening the entire time- and that they weren't in some safe place, but their enemies broken-down bar.

"You're saying we can just leave?" Taube asked, disbelief laced in his voice.

Wilson placed a card down- causing Pheonix to sigh heavily and slide some wrapped chocolates to his companion. The scraggly man shrugged at Taube's question.

"Valencia and I made a deal." Maya croaked in disbelief.

"Pheonix and I ain't never made a deal. Val always breaks hers. We don even know why you're still here," Wilson said, cocking an eyebrow, "Plus Val's unconscious right now- and the lady can teleport, if she really wants you that bad she'll just teleport to you and kidnap you or whatever. Now leave before I change my mind."

The three sat there, eyes wide.

"Leave before I change my mind."

At that, the three scrambled to their feet- stumbling out the door and into the streets of the city where it all began.